Ribbon positioning means for writing machines



July 8, 1947 F. VON SODEN RIBBON POSITIONING MEANS FOR WRITING MACHINES Filed Aug. 15, 1943 Patented July 8, 1947 UNITED STATE RIBBON POSITIONING MEANS FOR WRITING MACHINES Adolph F. von Soden, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application August 13, 1943, Serial No. 498,447

My invention relates to typewriters or like machines in which one object is to provide a device in said typing machines adapted for corn trolling the position of the typewriter ribbon and ore particularly to such construction thereof, whereby the position of a ribbon may be shifted, and so held in any special position when the printing character type bars strike upon the ribb.0n surface during the operation of said machine.

Another object of my invention is to, provide a suitable detachable ribbon shifting device which when attached to the typing machine it will become substantially a part thereof, and when in operation, to be adapted for holding, controlling and for maintaining said ribbon in its place and position, such as the top edge section, the middle section or the bottom edge section'thereof, and thereby increasingconsiderably the life and the usefulness of said ribbon and for preventing its edge-wise stretching.

Further object of my invention is to provide said detachable device, or an article of manufacture, which is attachable to or made an integral part of a machine herein. described, and which is made in such a form or construction so as to be adapted for the purpose of controlling any position of the printing ribbon, and which,

in addition, may be adapted to be used in and for any make, style or design of a'typewriter machine, addin machine, teletype'machine, billing, adding or calculating machine or the like, and be applicable to and for any device, ma-

2Claims. (Cr er-156) chine or apparatus where a typing ribbon or the likeis employed and used for printing the type characters upon the paper surface or the like.

' Other andfurther objects and advantages of my, invention as will hereinafter more fully appear, I attain by the construction herein shown on the drawings and described in the specification forming apart of my application.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which the similar reference characters denote the similar parts.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is the diagrammatical elevational view of the moving parts of a typewriter machine, showing same in relation to the striking type bar movement and the ribbon vibrator guiding means, also the ribbon adjusting and controlling-means.

Fig. 2 is the fragmentary top viewof the ribbon controlling means, disclosed as my invention.

Fig. 3 is the front elevational view of the rib,- bOI holding and controlling device, 7 which is ad p e fo a tach n sam t the ribbqn' uiding member of the typewriter machine, showing it in a modified form, and showing same in its various positions at which the ribbon, may be held during the operation of the typing machine. 7

Fig. 4 is the side elevational view of the ribbon holding and-controlling device, taken from the right of the Fig. 3. I

Fig. 5 shows the top plan view of the device, taken from the-top of the Fig. 3. V

Fig. 6 is the vertical sectional view of the device taken on the line 6,.6 of the Fig. fi slightly enlarged.

i 7 show f ag en y the device, showing its parts more in detail. 3

Describing my invention more in detail, said invention comprises a ribbon control means, generally designated by numeral 2 which cqnsistsof a suitable coupling member 4 secured upon a shaft member 6 by means of a set; screw 8, said coupling member 4 is provided with a suitable op 0 which i ada t o nga in alug me ber l2, see 2, and which is an integral part of the cross lever member [4.

The end [6 of said cross lever me ber I4 is provided with a suitable hub member IB-which i i ot lly ount o a d haf be 6 while the end Zllof said cross member- Ifi is pro vided with a suitable fork 22 which isadapted for; engaging a cross'pin; member 24 and which is substantially a, part of the ribbonguide; member 25. i

' Said guide member-26' holds the-ribbon in place and itis supporting it in its position when the h rac r tim b 28 s r k th ribbon sur ac du n hel ri t e. oper on an by p ss downwardly the key lever 30, which is fo r pulling down theconnecting link 3?, thus actuating the forked bar member 34, as shown in Fig. 1.

The ribbon movement and its position is controlled by the actionof saidbar 28. which is pivoted upon a cross shaft 36 and is provided with an extension 38 for engaging the forkediend section 40 0fthe bar member 34.

Said bar member is also pivoted upon the upwardly .extendingend 44 of said connecting link member 32, having the outer end 4!; mounted upon a pin 48, the. position-of whichis fixed,:for holding said lever member in a fixed position, while the rod member 54 is pivoted upon the upper part and an extension of said lever member 59, which extends therefrom upwardly, as

shown.

' Sail pivotalrodmember' fl, so mounted-has ended end d nst mue -aa ape ture le s a e me b r 58. and alsg hay..-

is osedina elevationalview of and the rearward position of said plate member 58 for bearing against the spring 56 is maintained by the weight of said guide member 26 coupled with the weight imposed thereon by the extended end 28 of said lever I4, or, if so desired, a suitable tension spring may be provided there; in for accomplishing the results required, which will hold said plate member 58 against said spring 56, as shown.

In order to control the position of said ribbon and to hold it in any selected location while same is guided by'said vibrator guide member 26, that is, to hold it at the top edge'section, the middle section or the bottom section edge, as shown generally at G, B, and A respectively, see Fig. 3 (without the attachment), said shaft member 6 is provided with a suitable collar 68 which is secured thereon by means of a key, set screw or a pin 62-, also, said collar 68 is provided with an extension lever 64 to which a suitable cross bar 66 is attached, at the bar end 68, having its other end I8 pivotally connected to an extending lever I2 whichis substantially a member of the bell crank I4.

Said bell crank member I4 is pivotally mounted upon a pivot pin I6 which is a part of a bracket I8, while the other lever 88 of said bell crank I4 is provided with a suitable knob 82, said lever 88 is adapted for engaging a set of selectors 84 which may be slots or the like and thereby holding and maintaining any of the three positions of said ribbon, while the machine is in operation.

In order to set said vibrator guide member 26 to any desired position, said knob 82 with its lever '88 is set within the selector 84, thus selecting any of th'A, B of G positions, which actualte's' thebar 66 and the lever 64, and which causes the collar member 68 and said shaft 6 to turn in the desired direction, which movement controls the position of the coupling member 4, thereby setting said stop I8, so that, when said lever I 4 is actuated by the action of the bars 28' then said lug member I 2 will stop against said step I0, while said rod member 54 will move forward and compressing said spring 56, however; preventing said vibrator 26' from actuating the position of said ribbon excepting as permitted by said selector lever 88, and during the operation of said type bars 28. 7

In' the Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 is shown an attachable ribbon holder and a guide 86, in'a modified form, comprising a base member 88 having a cut out center section 98 which is adaptedfor clearing the passa e of the character hammer memribbon holder 86 to keep the ribbon in its central position when said lever or selector 88 is placed in its neutral position, thereby permitting said type bars 28 to strike upon the middle section of said passing ribbon.

The spring member I08 is maintained in its place by means of a pin I84 while said spring I82 is held in. place by means of. a boss member I86 thus forming an extension I88 at the end of said rod member 94.

. Said extension I88 extends high enough for engaging the surface rim of the slot III! in said ribbon guide member 26, then in order to hold said ribbon holder 86 in its place, a suitable back brace member II 2 is provided which is riveted in place as at '4 to said boss member I86, thus providing a clampin end II6 while the bottom section I I8 of said brace member H2 is provided with a suitably grooved end I28 adapted for straddling said guide member 26 at the inner section of and at the bottom of said slot III).

In close proximity to said out out section 98 of said base member 88 a pair of ribbon guiding members I24 are positioned, each of which is provided with a ribbon slot I26 and also a suitable slot passa'ge'I28 through which a ribbon may he slipped into said slot I26 without removing same from the spool.

It may now be noted that in operation said ribbon guide 26, whichis the standard equipment, raises said ribbon upwardly with each and every motion of the character hammer 28. The standard method of operation being to adjust the ribbon selector for exposing the ribbon surface, that is the' top or the bottom edge thereof, tothe action of said character hammers. When, however, the neutral position of said selector 84 is employed, then the ribbon holder 86 attached to said guide 26 will assume an adjusted position,

causing said holder 86, which is supported in position upon said rod' members 94 by the lower springs I88 and the upper springs I82, to'hold sai'd ribbon in a central position, and by causing said upper springs I82 to become slightly compressed, which is due to the pressure imposed upon the rod extensions 96'resting upon the typing machine.

In this position said guiding members I24 are caused to raise slightly above the normal position, thereby allowing said ribbon disposed therein and held thereby to be used for' printing at the ribbon center arearheretofore not subjected to use.

In this manner the unused'central section of said ribbon is used, therefore increasing the life and usefulness of a ribbon, and in addition preventing the ribbon edges from wrinkling, which is due to its unevenness caused by'the constant hammering bythe character hammers 28, upon its edges.

While I have thus described my invention with great particularity, it will be clear that the same may be modified throughout a wide range.

I accordingly do not propose to be limited to the exact details of construction herein shown on the drawings and described in the specification, but reserve the rights in practice to make the necessary changes and modifications therein which may come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

. 1. Int vibrator attachment of the class described adapted to be used for guiding a typing ribbon past a printing point, comprisin a ribbon guide means, a base in said guide means, a cut out section in said base, a pair of boss member means disposed at each side of said base, a. slidable rod means disposed in each of said boss member means and extending outwardly therefrom, a spring means at each end of said rod means, a spring holding means at each end of said rod means for holding said spring means in position, an extension at each upper end of said rod means having a boss member, and back brace means attached to said boss member of said rod means for holding said ribbon holding guide means in position, on the vibrator.

2. In a vibrator attachment of the class de scribed, comprising, a ribbon guide means, means for holding said ribbon guide upon said vibrator, a set of springs in said last mentioned means for holding said ribbon guide in a floating position and for allowing the ribbon to feed therethrough, so that the upper springs will move said ribbon guide into its normal floating position.

ADOLPH F. VON SODEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,114,226 Campbell Oct. 20, 1914 1,227,326 Roebuck Apr. 10, 1917 2,152,848 Helmond Apr. 4, 1939 897,533 Hess Sept. 1, 1908 2,021,382 Smith Mar. 26, 1912 892,618 Pool July 7, 1908 1,662,220 Umstead Mar. 13, 1928 2,252,075 Johnson Aug. 12, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date '76 Great Britain 1905 

